Saving Florentina
by secretwriter4
Summary: Isolated, haunted and scared, Florentina Benedict is growing up in a family full of Savants without a gift. Or so they think. Unable to control the horrors that it brings, she locked it away at just five years old without the knowledge of her family. Will her soulfinder be her balance? And will she be able to accept his help, or push him away? R&R, else it'll be discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

"Mum," I pleaded. "I don't feel well."

"Well then, I'll go and ask your father to take a look at you then shall I?" She raised her eyebrow, daring me to challenge her and I realised my argument was futile. Grudgingly, I climbed out of bed. That was the one thing I didn't like about my dad, Xavier Benedict. Not only was he a doctor, but a healer, so he'd know straight away I would have been faking to get out of going to school, like I had the past two weeks straight. I rushed through my morning routine as I'd overslept, cursing myself as I should have realised that I would have been forced to go in, much to my dismay. I tugged on my uniform and threw my hair back in a messy ponytail, half thankful that my school was probably the only one in New York that had one as it meant I didn't have to dig an outfit out.

"Come on, I'll drive you. You've missed your bus," my brother Leo told me. "I'm heading that way for college anyway." I smiled my thanks, and picked up an apple on my way out the door, which would probably end up in the trash before I walked through the gate but it appeased my parents when they believed that I'd eaten breakfast. Suckers. Exiting our apartment, my brother had already said hello to someone, and had someone waiting to ride shotgun with him. Sighing, I climbed into the backseat, listening to their animated conversation about some bigshot party they went to the weekend. That's where the similarities between my brother and I end. He was tall, like my parents, with light brown hair(don't ask how, when everyone else in my family is dark haired, maybe he takes after Uncle Uriel)with hazel eyes, and athletic build with a list of friends longer than my arm. Me on the other hand, inherited the short gene in my family, unluckily for me. Just like my height, everything about me was ordinary, plain. Dark brown hair and eyes, nothing striking about me like my mother. Also, my social life matched my height-very little. I didn't mind not having any friends. Sure I was referred to as a "loner", but I preferred that to kissing people's backsides in order to obtain popularity, and I sure as hell didn't want to change who I was to please other people. I'm just plain, old Florentina Benedict, and love it or hate it, I wasn't going to change it for the world. I didn't need a bestfriend to tell all my secrets, they aren't secrets anymore if you tell them, are they? People can easily use them against you, and I didn't need that on top of my already complicated life. I was a dud savant in a world full of successful family members. I had a gift, once. That was a long time ago. I locked it away in a box and threw away the key when I was five to stop the horrors and nightmares that would surely haunt me for life. My mom believed it was just a phase, lack of self confidence like herself. Little did she know. I probably have the worst gift imaginable, no one would blame me for hiding it away. As far as my family are concerned, I'm an ordinary girl in a family of savants-no shields, no telepathy, no gift. The longer people believed this for, the safer we all would be.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo dropped me off at the front gate to my school 20 minutes later and I made it to form with a minute to spare. I clambered to the back of the room and sat in the corner, pulling a book out of my bag to distract myself from the immature, screaming teenagers about to descend the room into chaos. Three pages in, and I heard a slightly mocking clear of the throat. Without putting the book down to see the culprit dimming the light making it more difficult to see as there were no windows where I was sat, I regarded them with equal sarcasm and a chilling tone I'd learnt to master over the years.

"I suggest, whoever you are, that if you want me to move, next time ask nicely and I'll perhaps consider it. Until you learn some manners, I think it would be a wise move for you to drag yourself away from my desk to another seat before I do something you'll regret."

"If you bothered to turn up the past two weeks, you'd realise I'd been assigned this seat." He replied smoothly, evidently a new student.

"If you want to come out of this classroom alive and not in a body bag, I suggest you leave me alone else it's not going to end well for you. You clearly don't have a brain, else you'd realise I'm not the kind of person you want to mess with, and you'd leave me alone already." He took a breath of air, more to prepare for a swift response rather than a gasp at my harsh tone, but decided better and moved away from the desk, bettering my light so I could once again read my book. Curious as to who it was, I glanced up quickly to see a masculine figure, and despite the uniform blazer he wore, I could tell he worked out. Short, blonde hair accompanied it, which would have been more fitting with a prisoner, but it did-somehow-make him appear more handsome and boyish. The way he walked, I could somehow gather I'd pissed him off and it was only 8:30 in the morning.

_You could try being more friendly in future._ A blunt voice said to my head, and I immediately realised it belonged to my soulfinder. With my Savant genes, I was able to receive telepathy but I ignored it and pretended I never heard it so much my family gave up their attempts. Since I was 10 years old, I hadn't heard anyone say anything to my mind. If it was another Savant, I would have felt an impulse, an urge, but as cheesy as it was, the voice in my mind "lit me up like Vegas" and I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my mouth. He spun around immediately, knowing straight away I heard him so I buried my head in my book and busied myself "reading". Best not let him on to me being a Savant. I know that you probably think I'm being harsh, but he was better off knowing I was as non-existent as possible. When the bell for first period rang at 9:00, I quickly shoved my book in my bag and headed for my locker. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough, and even my height in the bustling corridors wasn't even able to keep me out of his eyesight.

"Hey," he said as he approached my locker, where I pulled out my Art notebook, history textbook and pencil case for my first couple periods. "We got off to the wrong foot, I'm Lewis Ashton." He greeted me. Smooth. You're trying to hard pal, maybe next time. I simply started at him, as if silently telling him "What the hell changed?", before slamming my locker door and turning back down the hall to the Art department. He called after me to wait and I hurried down a side corridor with the intent to loop back around and walk the long way, the teacher wouldn't care anyway. He caught onto my move though and pulled me into a vacant classroom, before I exploded.

"What the hell?" I virtually screamed. "I have a lesson which FYI I'm late for now thanks to you, and not only that you just dragged me in here against my will for no apparent reason. Tell me, do I need a restraining order?" He looked at me with amused eyes, before replying, "I know you're a Savant, and I know you heard what I said to you, which only means one thing." He was waiting for me to add in the final part.

"Gee what's that when it's at home? I'm just an ordinary New Yorker late for Art class, now if you don't mind, I'd prefer you left me out of your make-belief fantasies, _darling._" I added sarcastically.

"Don't play dumb, _babe._" He added for good measure with a heavy dose of sarcasm himself. And if he thinks I surprised him, well I surprised myself even more. I had every intention of walking straight out of the abandoned classroom and going to my lesson, but I guess I just couldn't cut the Savant part of me loose, because I responded by throwing my lips against his and locking my arms around his neck, to which he responded my deepening the kiss and lifting me so I could wrap my legs around his waist. He backed me up towards a desk before setting me down on it and settling between my legs where our make-out session continued until the bell for second period went. Realising we probably hadn't struck gold and the room would be empty another hour, we straightened our clothes and picked up our stuff before exiting as a few students began to enter, who-judging by the funny looks we were getting-realised what had gone on the past hour. "What lesson you got?" He questioned.

"History," I responded without consulting my timetable, which surprised me considering I spend half my time at home, and the other half either skipping or attempting to skip lessons.

"Free period," he grinned. Lucky for some. Playfully, I punched him in the arm before he feigned injury.

"I can hit a lot harder than that, I won't go so easy on you next time, newbie."

"You can hardly call me a newbie when you haven't even bothered coming in the past two weeks. Which, by the way, I was going to ask you about before you decided to throw yourself at me and all. I mean I know I'm irresistible-" He didn't have time to finish before I shoved him sideways into a locker.

"Don't be so full of yourself." I grunted, as I approached my class. "Listen, about, us ... I'd appreciate it if you kept quiet for now. Things are complicated." I mumbled quietly.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "I wasn't planning on it, from the way you tried to blow me off I guessed something weren't quite right." He pulled a pen out my hand and scribbled his digits across my palm, before walking off. "Incase you get bored," he called over his shoulder at my confused expression.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: At the end, mentions murder/death.

An hour later I walked out my my history room after the bell signalling break intending to go to the library to return some long overdue books when someone snagged my waist and pulled me to the side. Without having to look, I knew it was Lewis.

"I was expecting a text," he murmured by my ear, his breath tickling me.

"I actually find history interesting. Incase you didn't notice you don't even know my name, you wouldn't even know who was texting you."

"True. Although if you said the girl from first period I would have had a rough idea," he teased.

"Florentina Benedict. Although I prefer Flo."

"You're Italian?"

"Mums from Italy, Dad America," I explained.

"Wait, Benedict as in the famous family that always helps out the net?"

"Why you hiding from us?" I teased.

"Ha! You wish. No, I've just heard a lot about you that's all. I've always wanted to work for the net but my folks didn't really like the idea."

"It's risky yeah, but if it's what you want to do then don't give up."

"While we're on the subject, what's your gift?" He asked lightly.

"I don't have one," I responded, too quickly. He gave me a questioning glance but otherwise dropped the subject. We didn't have any lessons that day together, and at lunch I had a pile of work to catch up on so we didn't see each other again until afternoon registration.

"I was wondering if once we finished here you wanted to get a coffee?" He asked, approaching my desk which I refused to give up.

"Sure. I need to pop home first though quickly, you can tag along if you like. There's a cafe five minutes walk."

"Sure."

"This is why I never text you," I told him when we sat down and saved the digits on my hand and sent him a text so he had my number too. We enjoyed a coffee date, which lasted about half hour before my brother told me I needed to get home. Romantic, I know. We sad our goodbyes before I sped walk home with a promise I'd actually text him this time. I stuck the key in the apartment door and closed it softly on my way in and entered the kitchen. Pinned to the notice board was a note, saying how my Grandma Karla and Uncle Vic were coming to stay and mum and dad had gone to pick them up from the airport. No sooner had I read it, the door burst open and a ball of energy ran over to me(nearly tackling me to the floor in the process)and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Hi Grandma K," I told her whilst hugging her back.

"Hi sweetie!" She exclaimed.

"So what gives?" I asked.

"What does that mean in normal language?"

"Why the unexpected visit?"

"Oh. I just missed you all," she said aloud but whispered in my ear "I think you know why". Shit. She knew about my soulfinder. Which means, did she know about my gift? Looking at her as she pulled away from my embrace told me she probably did, and as my Uncle Vic was part of the FBI and never popped by for a cup of tea, I had a feeling this was bad. Very bad. Three hours later and I managed to escape from my Grandma K's clutches, mumbling an excuse about homework and collapsed on my bed and pulled my phone out. I noticed I had a text from non other than Lewis Ashton aka Mr Sexy Soulfinder.

_Are you always this bad at sticking to your word?;)x_

_Hey! I actually had every intention of texting you this time. Things have just been a bit crazy. My Grandma and Uncle are staying with us unexpectedly. I've got a feeling it's not a good, I-missed-you kinda visit x_

_What's happened? Are you okay? Xx_

_Yeah I'm fine. My Grandma K told my mum and dad that she missed us but I know that she knows I found my soulfinder xx_

_How? Xx_

_She can see glimpses of the future. Can I see you? Xx_

_Where shall I meet you? My place is empty until tomorrow if you want to talk xx_

_Meet me on the corner of mine. Text me when you're there x_

Half an hour later I walked into Lewis' house which had a more homely vibe than my own. It was a stark contrast with the mannequins and sequins belonging to my mother, and the timberland collection and hospital ID and uniform of my fathers. It was small and cosy and I had the suspicion that his mom was the kind that baked pies and cake on a regular basis. He walked into the kitchen to retrieve some snacks and a drink for us each before he led me up the stairs to his room.

"Bathrooms the door at the top of the stairs, mines the door after. My mom's mom tripped and sprained her ankle or something so my folks have gone to help her out for a few days. Not that I'm complaining. I like the peace and quiet, my mom never leaves me alone," he explained whilst simultaneously juggling the fridge's contents and opening his bedroom door. It was nothing like I expected. He seemed so warm and happy, but his room suggested otherwise. Dark colours were present. Black walls and furniture, with light and dark grey bedding. Photo frames with pictures of who I assumed were family and friends hung from the walls and a TV graced the wall above his desk with a computer and Xbox, which I assumed was probably what he chose to do at the desk, rather than actual schoolwork.

"This wasn't what I expected," I told him half heartedly, not really noticing I'd said it.

"Not enough pink for you?" He teased.

"Ergh. Don't go there. Pink's such a stereotypical colour it cringes me. I think I own like one pink shirt which still has the price tag on," I huffed as I plopped down on his bed. He pulled his phone out of his jacket to check the message that he received before he quickly sent a reply and plugged it in to charge. He joined me on the bed.

"You look tired," he told me.

"I never sleep."

"Why not?" He asked concerned.

"I haven't slept properly for years, as long as I can remember."

"You can tell me to keep my nose out if you like, but this has something to do with your gift hasn't it?"

"I told you, I don't have a gift," I told him firmly. He got more comfortable spread put along his bed and pulled me down beside him and held me, my head on his heart. Neither of us said anything for a while as i absentmindedly traced circles on the outside of his tshirt and he rubbed soothing circles into my back. He was the first to break the silence.

"You don't have to tell me what you're not comfortable with. But I've been thinking. Maybe it won't be so bad now that you've found me. Soulfinders are supposed to be complete with their other halves. Also, we have a combined gift. Don't you think that whatever torment your gift causes you, together we can make it a lot easier to manage and more comfortable. Maybe it'll be easier to come to terms with now that you're older." I lay quietly, mulling this over. He'd barely known me a day, yet here he was already making my problems his-ours-and here I was about to pour my heart out to him.

"I have some freaky kind of mediumship as my gift. It started to develop when I was five. I was having nightmares, about people dying and seeing the dead. I kept it to myself, I never thought it had anything to do with my gift, just some horror I caught a glimpse of my parents watching when I snuck out of bed. One night I had a dream about this little girl and she was burning in a fire and she was screaming. Ear piercing sounds. It was horrible and it terrified me. I don't remember anything else apart from seeing a dead person's hand and I never knew how but I know that both of them were murders and they were connected. Through my dreams they were trying to tell me something, but I kept shutting them out. The next day I woke up and told my parents I was adamant I didn't have a gift. They supported me, thinking it was a phase as my mom was convinced she was a dud savant. They tried talking to me telepathically and they got used to the fact that I wasn't like other savants and couldn't here their telepathy as I got good at hiding that I received it. Eventually my family stopped trying, thought I'd snap out of it but I never. It's easier being here, my mom's a soul seeker and can't use normal telepathy so it's not really used at home, and opposed to Colorado where they rest of my family live. I cut off the Savant part of me because I was scared of it and I never looked back. Until this morning when you spoke to me. I tried to hide it. I thought you'd be better off without me." I didn't even realise I ha started crying until he held me tighter against him and wiped my tears away and whispered soothing sounds to calm me.

"I think I can help," he said after a while and I looked at him in shock. How could he possibly stop the nightmares that still occurred? I slept as little as possible, scared that it would come back. Which it does. "My gift is memory manipulation. I can plant, change or remove memories. I tried it once with my little cousin, I was able to control them dream she was having." He hesitated and broke off.

"Go on," I encouraged. "I have to be awake to do it."

"Then you're not trying," I stated.

"I knew you'd say that which is why I was reluctant to tell you, but I sleep properly every night. What's one night going to do? Please. Just let me help you this once."

"You have school tomorrow." It was the only argument I could think of which was rather invalid. I also had school tomorrow and had to attend as my parents would go mental, his on the other hand, weren't here. What they didn't know wouldn't kill them. "Fine."

"Heads up, I'm going to control it so you don't have a dream instead of creating one. Using my gift can be tiring for long periods of time, so to make it last as long as possible I have to just get rid of the memory instead of getting rid and planting a new one."

"Okay."

Lewis POV.

I hated the fact that I lied to her. I knew she wouldn't accept my help if she knew the extent of my gift. I know knew why fate put us together. In controlling her dream, of nightmare, the consequence was that I had to endure whatever it was that she dreamed of. I saw everything that she saw. The girl, the fire, the hand. I'm not sure which was worse. The girl was wearing tattered clothing, with ice blue eyes that looked straight into the soul. The scream was the worst. How could someone so small produce such an earth shattering scream? The hand was what creeped me out the most. It stuck out from beneath its burial in a dark, earthy patch in a field. It's fingers went dead in the cold and dirt stuck underneath the nails. All of a sudden, one of the fingers twitched. However it was wasn't dead. Dying for sure. But not dead. They would be by now unless they had been found considering she's been having this dream for 12 years. It was murder. It couldn't be put simpler. From what I understand about her gift of mediumship, whoever it was was trying to communicate with her from beyond the grave. Literally. But what did the girl and the fire have to do with the cold hand, which looked like it belonged to man?


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the late update, currently got a tooth infection and mock exams to revise for after Christmas but I'll try and update as much as possible. Read and review!

When I awoke the next morning, strong arms were wrapped around me. Even stranger, I felt really refreshed. It then hit me that I'd spent the night at Lewis'. SHIT. My parents were going to freak! Jumping out of a puzzled Lewis' grip I searched through my jacket for my phone and saw a billion missed calls and texts from both my parents and my brother. Crap crap crap. They were going to kill me. It was 7:03 in the morning, so I'd hopefully be able to dodge the bullet and leg it to school this morning.  
"I've got a billion missed calls off my parents, they realised I haven't been at home. They're going to kill me!" His eyes widened in surprised and he climbed out of bed.  
"I take it you're not going to tell them exactly where you were?"  
"Wasn't planning on it. It hardly sounds good does it? Plus it's complicated." I looked away to avoid his gaze and he tilted my chin, forcing me to look at him.  
"It'll be okay. I promise. You better get going, I'll see you in school yeah?"  
"Yeah," I smiled before giving him a brief kiss and sprinting back to my house. Hesitating, I put my key in the lock and entered before my mother exploded.  
"Where have you been?! Sneaking out! And on a school night! What kind of behaviour is this? I wasn't going to say anything because you promised to sort yourself out but you've been to school once in the past two weeks and now this? It's the final straw Florentina Rose Benedict! You're going to boarding school!"  
"What? Don't you think that's a bit extreme? You haven't even let me explain."  
"So explain yourself," my father interjected growling. SHIT. He's never this serious. He's going to kill me. Oh dear. I didn't have time to finish before my Grandma K waltzed out of my brothers room where she was probably sleeping while he grabbed the sofa.  
"What's going on?" She asked. We both knew perfectly well that she hadn't in fact just woke up and was about to cover for me and save my ass.  
"She stayed out all night." My mum stated bluntly.  
"Grandma I text you," I butted in.  
"Really? Let me check my phone," she pretended to read a text before speaking up.  
"Ah yes. I'm sorry if I got you in trouble I didn't realise it had gone off. She text last night saying she went to complete a school project but fell asleep and she was going to stay the night and come back this morning to get ready. I'm so sorry darling." I wasn't sure whether my parents bought my Grandma's explanation but they didn't question it and she threw me a glance when they weren't looking as if to say we need to talk. Before she got the chance I mumbled something about running behind and legged it out the front door to school where I saw Lewis waiting for me.  
"Hey, how did it go?" He asked as I approached him.  
"Depends how you look it at. My mom blew up before I'd even walked in the door screaming that I was going to boarding school then my Grandma K covered for me. I'm not sure if they brought it or not but they didn't say anything about it."  
"I guess that's good then. I mean, doesn't sound like you've got to go boarding school anymore, right?" He joked.  
"You're truly hilarious," I mock glared at him. He was stood with a younger girl with straight, waist-length auburn hair.  
"This my sister Kimmy. Kimmy this is Flo," he introduced us.  
"You two dating?" She asked us.  
"I guess you could say that," she grinned and dived on her brother, tackling him into a hug.  
"My brother said he wasn't going to date anyone until he found her. You're his soulfinder." Wow, I did not see that coming.  
"Yeah.." I replied hesitantly.  
"Hey Kim, don't say anything to Mom and dad okay? We don't want people knowing yet." After reassuring us she wouldn't say anything, she ran off to join her friends and Lewis breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Come on we're going to be late to form," I informed him dragging him along. The day went by in a blur, and me and Lewis walked back to mine hand in hand from the bus stop. My Grandma K had text me assuring me no one was home and she'd like to meet him and talk to us. Here's me hoping to avoid that situation. Didn't look like that was possible. Damn.

I unlocked my apartment and pulled Lewis over the threshold, before my Grandma K literally dived on us, pulling us into a hug squealing and jumping up and down like a little kid.  
"Hey Grandma," I choked out. "Can't-breathe!" She led us to the kitchen and made us drinks before sitting opposite us. I felt like I was about to be interrogated.  
"While I'm happy for the both of you," she began. "I think you have some explaining to do Florentina Benedict. Starting with last night." She ended sternly.  
"Nothing happened. Not like that anyway. It's easier I explain from the start, but promise me you won't tell a soul? Not Mom, not dad, or Uncle Vic. Please." She relented and nodded her acceptance of my own personal terms and conditions and I launched into my story, starting with the first nightmare i experienced when I was five, and Lewis' role in the situation last night. "But now it's your turn Grandma K." I told her. "You didn't think I'd tell you everything, and not expect nothing back in return."  
"I covered for you for I don't know how long, especially last night." I locked my jaw, signalling I wasn't giving in and she sighed before speaking up. "Me and your grandfather knew something was wrong years ago. Your parents told us you believed you wasn't a proper Savant. You probably won't remember, but around that time me and you sat down when you visited Colorado. I asked you to tell me what was wrong-"  
"I remember," i interjected. "Mom and dad thought seeing the family might help, thought you'd be able to get through to me because of how close we've always been. I remember telling you that I couldn't here telepathy and I didn't have a gift. Mom wanted Auntie Sky to sit with us to tell if I was lying or not, but you sent her away."  
"Yes. I knew something was wrong, and if you didn't want to talk about it you were in your right to do so. Having Sky tell your parents you were lying would have solved nothing. She was sat in the living room and was able to pick up on your energy but she kept quiet, she pulled me aside later and told me you weren't telling the truth. No one, not even Zed, found out about it. Because I knew this day would come. I knew you wasn't telling the whole story from when we spoke in the kitchen, I could see the fear in your eyes. Now I know why."  
"You always knew though didn't you," I confronted her. She hesitated before replying.  
"I knew you had nightmares when you were younger, but I didn't know why. You seemed to have them more than other children, almost every night. That's when I started to think it was about your gift. Me and your grandfather both saw it, so we looked on the net to see what gifts entailed occurring nightmares. We couldn't really narrow it down because that's all we had to work off, but mediumship did cross our minds. We could never say that's what it was for definite because we didn't know what you were dreaming of."  
"Okay.. "I answered. "You came here though because you knew I found my soulfinder, why did you bring Vic and why didn't you tell my parents?"  
"I didn't tell them because of your situation. They wouldn't believe me sweetie if I waltzed in and told them, you convinced them you were a dud Savant. I had two visions. One was of you two together, and the other was of you're nightmare. I brought Vic because I know what you've been dreaming of for years, and he's an FBI agent and a very good Savant who can try to help solve the crime."  
"Do you believe that if we find out what's been happening in my dream it'll stop the nightmares?" I dared ask. Not wanting to get my hopes up.  
"For now." She replied curtly. "Until someone else needs your help. What you need to understand is the gift you have may be a dark, mysterious and horrifying one. But it's what you do with it that counts. You can save lives with it, if you're gift enables you to see glimpses of what may happen, which we don't know yet because you've been trying to lock it away. But you can also change lives. The people you dream about are someone's life. Their daughter, son, father, friend. You can help them find out what happened to their loved ones. The dead are trying to communicate with you for a reason, which is why you should try to embrace your gift and see its positives. And use finding your Soulfinder to your advantage." She gave a knowing smile, and I had the feeling she wasn't implying his memory manipulation gift.  
"There's still not one thing I understand. How can you possibly know what I've been dreaming about if I haven't told you? I only mentioned having nightmares."  
"That would be me." Lewis, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up. I looked at him with a clear message, explain. "I haven't been completely honest with you Flo. "He continued before i had the chance to interrupt. "When I helped you sleep last night, I was 100% truthful about my gift. What I left out was that in order to remove the memory from your head, I also have to endure it. Your Grandma would have saw the nightmare when she foresaw us together due to the way my gift works. If someone else sees it-another Savant-without being there, ie. Seeing it as a vision, the memories overlap. They are the dream as well as the people in the memory and how they react, it overlaps the memory so she'd see the nightmare the way you and I did, but then she would also see me and you which is the actual memory." Okay, that was confusing. I tried to get my head around his explanation the best I could, but this was the point my parents decided to come home and stopped whatever it was I was about to say. Which in all honesty, I would have had no idea what until the words were spoken.


End file.
